Nickelodeon Renews ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’

Nickelodeon has renewed its popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants for a 12th season, the network announced Tuesday.

The 26-episode 12th season will debut in 2019, the series’ 20th anniversary year and the planned year for the release of a third SpongeBob SquarePants theatrical film, according to Nickelodeon.

SpongeBob SquarePants, the most-watched animated program with kids for more than 15 consecutive years, will debut season 11 later this summer, according to the network.

Nickelodeon also announced the renewal of several pre-school series including PAW Patrol (fifth season);Shimmer and Shine (fourth season) and Rusty Rivets and Nella the Princess Knight (bothsecond season renewals).

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.